How To Cook Perfect Pancakes

Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday, but we’re calling it Pancake Day! Shrove Tuesday was traditionally when you were supposed to eat all the flour, eggs and dairy products in your kitchen before the start of Lent which is a time of abstinence and reflection in the 40 days before Easter. One of Australia’s best chefs Brad Jolly from Alchemy restaurant shows us how to whip up a batch of perfect, fluffy pancakes.

1. What’s the key to making the perfect pancake?

First have a really good non stick pan, than once you pour batter into a very hot pan make sure that you wait until you see air bubbles forming – this tells you it’s time to flip it.

2. How do you make pancakes?

Using only four key ingredients – eggs, self-raising flour, milk and low-fat spread – you can create delicious homemade pancakes at time any of the day.

3. What are your family’s favourite toppings?

Our problem is we all like them done in different ways so normally we try and take turns to picking which one we have. My wife loves them with ricotta, spinach and nutmeg. My son loves them with grilled bananas and maple syrup where I like them the Canadian way with scrambled eggs and bacon.

4. What’s your tip for flipping pancakes?

Thin ‘traditional style pancakes are best for flipping as well as a non-stick pan and a lot of luck. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t – even for the professionals and that’s the fun of it!

5. Why do you love pancakes so much?

I enjoy them because we normally eat them as a family on weekends and everyone can get involved in the process. Making a mess and cracking the eggs is something my son looks forward to doing on Sundays.

Whilst living in Canada I acquired a habit of eating pancakes every Saturday – it’s there that I found an appreciation for Pancakes. We would eat them both savory and sweet!

6. How will you be celebrating Pancake Day this year?

This year I’ll be hosting a live pancake cook-off and tossing demonstration at Martin Place, Sydney between 7 – 11am where we’ll be serving free pancakes and attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the most Pancakes flipped in one minute. The current title sits at 117 pancakes flipped, achieved by chef Aldo Zilli on the set of Blue Peter, BBC 1, London, UK, on 24 February 2009.